This is my latest work. I call it semi-finished, because I'd love to learn as much as possible. I started this sort of a portrait as a practice, with no ambitions, no intention - I was just following my current mood and the music No reference was used.

I'll be grateful for any critique. At this point I'm literally blind and pointing out any mistake would be helpful. I know there are still some anatomical issues that may be fixed. I'd also like to know what you think about the colour scheme - I wanted to keep it mainly in that gold tone with green eyes in contrast (very tiny though), but I do not know if it works properly... I've added some blue touches to the shadows already, but maybe it needs more, maybe I should break that monochromatism to make it more vivid?

To me time-lapse videos are great for showing random composition (most often I watch with that in mind, partly because I suck at composition - there's that 'blind spot' thing again, hehe). My favourite is 5:33 to 5:43. Also I realize that to me this kind of feedback wouldn't be very interesting/useful (after I just spent hours finishing the latter part of a painting!).

I know almost nothing about colour so I'll leave that for someone else.

Well, sometimes I use references, mainly when I'm working on something 'bigger' and I'm afraid of making it badly - and in result it's often stiff, unnatural or how to say it.. so I love these practices from memory, just painting what I want in that particular moment. It's very useful as well - because I usually realize some mistakes (for example in anatomy) and I learn a lot while trying to fix them simply by understanding how it all work

I'm going to work on it a bit more now, so I'll see what I can do.._________________Every cloud has a silver lining.

Just thought of something else: the highlights are about the same across the whole canvas. Again, I'm just an amateur but I think the area/spot that has the highest contrast defines a focus point in the picture (though layout/perspective contribute to that too?)...

Your painting got me working on a female character I've been neglecting - thanks for the nudge.

Good notice... I knew about that, because I was just painting and thought the hair etc. are nearly abstract elements here, so it doesn't mind - but when I'm looking at it once more, I think you're right, the light source might be better defined..

I have worked on it yesterday, changed shape and volumes of her face to look less flat etc.

EDIT: Ok, here's the latest version, just her face is changed to look more realistic, but it's not finished. I'm going to add some details etc.. and then I'll continue on the background, highlights and colour scheme...

Well, just like Durgldeep hinted, the best advice we can give is to use reference. The problem at this point is that you'd mostly have to rework from scratch if you used them which is always so frustrating that we tend to not touch anything at all. However, the face feels nice enought to me, so you can really improve that hair (using some photos or something).

Quote:

her face is changed to look more realistic, but it's not finished. I'm going to add some details etc..

Devil is in the details. They'll never save a picture if it's not working from before! The viewer will not even notice them if the drawing has errors._________________www.abeloroz.blogspot.com

Well, just like Durgldeep hinted, the best advice we can give is to use reference.

If that was me saying "Another person who works without references - cool", I wasn't hinting I was following advice from Sijun/The Bone Doctor to 'draw from imagination' (which is what I do anyhow). Sorry if I wasn't clear...

I agree with Abelo that once the detailing starts we're cornered, to whatever degree...

For me (if no one else), I'm trying to learn to move on whenever the process slows to a crawl; example below. I see the piece as a snapshot of where I was at the time - and move on. But that's just me.

Thanks for comments, guys.. my mistake is that I forgot to post the latest stage of this picture - I don't say it looks ideal, but I think I've learned just a little bit more again. I usually learn from references, but the part of these practices is to be able to paint all those features properly even without ref - and very helpful is when I paint something, look at it and see all those mistakes that I have to rework. This reworking teaches me what was wrong and make me do not forget it next time. Hope it's understandable

I'll be glad to know what you think about this newer one (still far from being finished)..

humh the hair .. I'd say start over with it; fill them mostly with the darkest tone they can have, lighten up and saturate the parts where the light is scattering diffusely and add few small brighter areas with thin hairy strokes- way more like the ones closer to the face and add little thin bright anisotropic Highlights
- right now it looks like thick trunks or something dread- or rastalike but glossy.. and I think it may be too much lit areas

keep on it - hope I could've been of help_________________.. err but maybe its the other way around ..or maybe I lost it .. back then

the-John-Doe: Hi, thanks for your comment. I totally forgot about this thread I started here, but I see I visited it in the right moment now

In fact, I finished this picture only two days ago - and I'm glad I really did some of the tips you mentioned. The hair wasn't meant to be strictly realistic, I like to play with the lines and shapes and so on, but you're definitely right about the light/dark issues in it. I know it might have still been done better, but I decided to stop working on it and use what I have learned in another portrait.

Anyway, thanks for what you said, it was still very helpful for me and I'll be more careful about it in the next one..